Just like the migrating Pacific gray whales, Whale of a Weekend returns to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium February 10-11.
Gray whales migrate from Mexico to the Arctic every year, swimming nearly 10,000 miles roundtrip. From their feeding grounds in the Arctic during the summer to the warm waters of Baja Mexico in the winter, where they breed and give birth. Around the beginning of the year, the gray whales and their calves begin their journey north, passing through the Santa Monica Bay, and often coming close enough to see from the Santa Monica Pier, as they pause to find food on their way back up to the Arctic.

The Aquarium celebrates this migration each year with a weekend full of whale-centric activities: visitors can feel the heft of a whale rib, check out bristly baleen, and try on a layer of (simulated) whale blubber for warmth. Kids of all ages can have their faces painted and make a whale visor to take home. Learn more interesting facts about these gentle giants at the Aquarium through story time, interactive exhibits, and presentations about the gray whale’s migration habits.

Aquarium naturalists will staff a wildlife observation station at the west end of the Santa Monica Pier. Those who stop by are welcome to spy for whales through binoculars and field guides will identify local birds and marine life.